By Mercy Roland, Executive Director, MercySpeaks Initiatives for Development and Empowerment
Opesusi Faith Timileyin is no longer here to tell her story.
At just 19 years old, she died by suicide after seeing her UTME score—190, lower than what she had hoped for.
What she didn’t know, what no one around her could show her in time, was that JAMB had already offered her provisional admission.
The email arrived just 30 minutes after she passed.
Her hope had come—but too late.
Let that reality settle in for a moment.
This was more than a personal tragedy. This is a mirror held up to our systems, our homes, and our silence.
In the wake of this story, I’ve read reactions focused only on one thing: the mass failure in UTME.
Yes, many students did not perform as expected. But while we talk about numbers and statistics, can we talk about something even more urgent?
Mental health. Emotional pressure. The crushing fear of failure.
As the Executive Director of MercySpeaks Initiatives, I’ve worked closely with youth, especially girls, across different communities. And I can boldly say: there are thousands of Timileyins among us—quietly drowning under pressure.
They are afraid of disappointing their parents.
Afraid of being mocked.
Afraid that one score will erase all their dreams.
And the saddest part?
They feel they have no safe space to talk about these fears.
To Parents:
Let us wake up. We cannot continue raising children whose worth is tied solely to academic outcomes.
Let’s raise emotionally balanced young people who know how to face rejection, learn from it, and grow stronger.
Let’s teach them that they are more than a result slip.
To Schools and Examination Bodies like JAMB:
This tragedy must mark a turning point.
Why did it take so long to notify a student about her admission status?
Where are the mental health touchpoints for our students in distress?
We urgently recommend:
• The creation of a Mental Health Support Desk within JAMB and all major academic institutions.
• Real-time admission notifications via SMS and call—not just emails.
• Pre- and post-exam wellness checks and group counseling across secondary schools nationwide.
• The inclusion of emotional resilience education in the school curriculum.Timileyin’s story must not end in silence.
Let her passing ignite change in our systems, our homes, and our hearts.
At MercySpeaks Initiatives, we are committed to creating safe spaces for young people to express themselves, build confidence, and find purpose beyond grades.
We believe in every child’s right to be heard, helped, and held—even when they don’t “pass.”
To every young person reading this:
Please hear me: You are not a failure.
You are a life in progress. Your dreams are still valid.
Talk to someone. Stay. Fight for your future.
To the world:
Let this be the last time a child dies thinking they have no other way.
Let us protect them—not just with policy—but with love, empathy, and timely action.
Because our children are worth more than a score.
Because Timileyin’s name must never be forgotten.
–
Mercy Roland
Executive Director, MercySpeaks Initiatives for Development and Empowerment
Building lives. Speaking hope. Empowering futures.